Question: Why isn’t it preferred to name a Joker “Joker” when discarding it?

Answer: During most of the game — except very late in the game when Jokers often become the safest discard — it is perfectly acceptable to discard a Joker and name it “same” or even repeat the previously discarded tile instead of announcing “Joker.”

The strategy behind this is psychological and informational.

Discarding a Joker earlier in the game often suggests that a player may be waiting on:
• a single tile,
• a pair,
• or is very close to Mah Jongg.

By not specifically announcing “Joker,” inattentive players who are overly focused on their own hand may later notice a Joker sitting in the discard area and wonder:
“Wait… who discarded a Joker?”

This can create uncertainty and reduce the immediate informational advantage that openly announcing “Joker” might provide to observant opponents.

Source: Mah Jongg Made Easy 2024, page 24, #11